Conner's Blog asking questions and failing to answer them

First, thank you for biking. I love the fact that you chose a bike as your form of transportation. Whether you did it to save money, because it's faster than driving, or just because you love biking, it doesn't matter. I'm glad to see you out there.

But we have a problem, a big problem, and you need to help us with it. There is a huge percentage of our fellow bikers who don't get it. They don't understand that we need to be examples to everyone. Every day I see bikers flying through stop signs, ignoring traffic lights, biking the wrong way down one ways, biking without lights at night, and doing other things that are very dangerous.

I know some of these bikers. These are the bikers that will stop traffic to allow their fellow bikers to cross an intersection, even though they don't have the right of way. Bikers that think that just because they aren't driving a car they are better than people than those behind the wheel. This is the wrong attitude and we need to work on fixing this.

Bikers have a obligation. An obligation to show everyone around us that bikes can be a major form of transportation. We can all wish that the car would just go away and we could have the city streets to ourselves. But it's not going to happen. The solution to bike safety and acceptance is all of us biking smart.

Biking smart doesn't mean following every single traffic rule. I will roll through stop signs if there is no one coming, but I always slow down. I always stop at red lights, though I will cross the intersection when the light is red if it's safe to do so. Bikes and cars are different and I think laws should be adaptable enough to respect those differences.

But there are some things we need to start pressuring our fellow bikers to stop doing:

Running red lights without stopping

Not slowing down when entering a controlled intersection you don't have the right of way in, whether a car is approaching or not

Not stopping for stop signs on bike trails if a car is coming

Not signaling turns

Passing every car to get to the front of a line of cars, you can wait behind the car in front of you

Not taking lanes when you should

Biking on sidewalks(there are a few places in town where you have no choice)

Turning in an intersection from the wrong lane. If there is a left turn lane, get into that lane and turn from there, or cross the intersection and then cross it again going the other direction.

Passing cars on the right side when they are stopped (even if they don't have a blinker on, assume they are turning)

Biking the wrong way down one ways

Biking at night without lights

Biking with headphones in

Biking without a helmet

Here's the deal. I know there are drivers out there that will dislike bikers no matter way, I know bikers have the same rights as cars do, but we need to take our role more seriously. We need to show cars respect, need to be extremely defensive, and we need to stop acting like we own the road. Learn and follow the rules and we'll be better off.

Comments

Amen. I side with bikers most of the time, but it's the little things that would make a huge difference in how they are treated by the non bikers.
Just to nitpick, I'm even ok with running red lights if they just slow down. No need to stop if you can see you are clear.

I mostly agree. Some of these problems can be solved through better education of both bikers and drivers. But in many cases, it's simply disrespect for the law by cyclists. Our first step is to ensure that the laws pertaining to cyclists are reasonable (read: if we can all generally agree that it's no big deal for cyclists to roll through stop signs when there are no cars in sight, it should be legal). Our second step is to actually enforce them, both formally through traditional police channels, and informally by shaming them by the cycling community.

Agreed, it isn't as simple as I make it out to be. But what is.
Actually, one of my biggest problems is that often times the "leaders" of the bicycle community tend to be the worst offenders.

By:
Kassie

My city council woman asked all of us at my neighborhood meeting last night to encourage our friends to use lights and signal turns. And lights are required by law, at least in Minneapolis, after dark. I wish the police would enforce that.
But why not get in front of all the cars at a stop light. It is a lot safer to be in front where they can see you. You can also get a jump on the traffic so you can take the lane. I always get out in front of the cars at a light. I feel a lot safer doing that.

Because it frustrates drivers to see you passing them and then move in front of the lead car. Keep the lane, stay in the place you ended up when the light turned red. Why should you get to move to the front of the line just because you are on a bike? You are just as safe in front of the fourth car in line as being in front of the whole line.

I definitely believe in the right to choose to wear a bicycle helmet. While a helmet has saved me from cracking my skull open a few times now, I'm still vehemently against mandatory helmet laws.
I wear a helmet 99.9% of the time simply because it might save me in an accident. Others are willing to take that risk. That's their choice and I'm fine with them being able to have that choice and take that risk as long as it doesn't endanger other people.

By:
dave w

As a driver, bikers driving ahead of the line of cars at a stoplight doesn't bother me. What bother's me is when they are riding 1/2 in the car lane and slowing down traffic.

I think the problem isn't that a lot of cyclists "don't get it" I think there are just many people that are unaware of the laws and proper ways to handle traffic situations on a bike. They're not just breaking these rules because they can, they are just unaware of them.
While this isn't true for everyone, it is true for a lot of people. Case in point - people that ride on the sidewalk. When you can stop someone that is doing that and explain to them that not only is it illegal to ride on the sidewalk and that it is actually safer to ride in the road, they almost always had no idea.

Jess, I agree, especially when it concerns new bikers.
Like I said, this is a call to all bikers to not only follow the rules and bike safer but to try and explain to everyone who doesn't know them why they should.
That said, I get very frustrated when a some people within the bike community refuse to bike safely. These are people have been biking for years and should know better.

By:
Tom

I don't ride on the sidewalk but my understanding is that it is only illegal to ride on the sidewalk in business districts or where designated by local authorities.
MN Statute 169.222 "4(d) A person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk, or across a roadway or shoulder on a crosswalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal when necessary before overtaking and passing any pedestrian. No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district unless permitted by local authorities. Local authorities may prohibit the operation of bicycles on any sidewalk or crosswalk under their jurisdiction."
Looks like the Minneapolis city council could ban it though; I don't know if they have.

Some people lack basic extrapolation skills.
If you've ever been on a motorcycle and been struck on the hand or face by a rock that was kicked up by a car in front of you at 20 MPH, you know how much that sucks. Taking that one step further you can imagine what a pavement strike to your head would feel like if you were knocked down at 20 MPH. So you can laugh at my full face helmet that I wear while out on my scooter all you want.
Please wear a helmet every time you ride, no matter what you ride.

By:
Tom

Dave- There's no such thing as a car lane! Except on the freeway I guess.

I don't think it's illegal in a lot of places, but it can definitely be unsafe. It's one thing when it's a parent and kid who are barely moving, it's another when someone is flying along at 10-15 mph. I saw this yesterday when I was driving and a biker was coming at me on the sidewalk, had I not looked half-way down the block on the sidewalk we would have crashed. I might only look for pedestrians once and that would be bad.

Bikers get the whole lane. I always take the lane when I'm going through an intersection, most of the time I end up accelerating almost as fast as the car in front of me does because I'm paying better attention to the light. I will move over when it's safe to do so though, since it's the appropriate thing to do.

By:
Kassie

Actually, bikes do not get the whole lane. They are required to bike as close to the curb as is safe. It is a cyclist myth that they can take the whole lane. And I do take the whole lane, but it is not legal and bicyclists get tickets for this fairly often.

Actually you are supposed to ride as "close as practicable" to the right side of the road. So you need to move over when it's safe to do so. But you are entitled to the whole lane if it's required for you to be safe.
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=169.222

By:
Kassie

If we lived in a libertarian society where when someone was hurt or disabled they were still required to pay for their own care or be put on the curb to die, then I'd be okay with people not wearing helmets. But that isn't the case. People don't wear helmets, they get in accidents, and the tax payers pay thousands of dollars a month for the rest of their lives for their care. Traumatic Brain Injuries are very expensive to the state. A TBI patient may not be able to ever work again. We pay for their housing, their food, a monthly cash stipend, intensive medical and rehab treatments and all because they couldn't be bothered to wear a helmet.

I often move up a line of cars because I get super nervous when I'm in the middle of a line of cars. If I could avoid biking on the street all together, I would. Being on the corner or as close to the right as possible makes me feel like I'm getting out of the way off all the cars and they can see me. If a car is signaling a right turn, I try to motion for them to go as they have the right away if I'm going straight.

Thanks for posting this. I'm currently a non-biker, but I'll be stealing and rehabbing a vintage street bike (vintage in that my parents have ALWAYS had them) one of these days and biking more. I'm not fast, and I'm not confident, so I'll probably be one of those annoying sidewalk bikers.
My main issue, as a driver, is seeing the bikers going slow on narrow roads and backing up traffic. That and the running lights thing drive me nuts.
I agree whole-heartedly that bikers (and motorcyclists, and people on scooters) should wear helmets. My mom works for Gillette Children's for the pediatric neurosurgery team and I've heard horror stories. Though honestly? If you're following all the other rules up there, you should be fine.

Maggie, I don't discourage sidewalk biking because it's annoying, it's actually a lot more dangerous than riding on the street. For one, you have less maneuverable space. Two, since you are probably moving at least twice as fast as a pedestrian, a driver might not notice you because they aren't looking for bikers on the sidewalks, they are looking for walkers. There are other reasons as well.
I understand biking on the street can be scary, I recommend sticking to residential streets until you get comfortable with traffic. And remember, even if you hold a car to 10 MPH for an entire city block, they are likely going to be only thirty seconds later than they would have been otherwise. Just be consciousness and move over when its safe, the majority of drivers will respect that.
Oh, and take a bike safety course, it can really help.
If you must sidewalk bike, this article is a interesting resource. http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/07/09/top-5-rules-for-riding-on-the-sidewalk/

I'm down in the suburbs, and really only ride to work and back home, and occasionally to the library or grocery store. Biking down here is a different game, and due to the infrequency of actual pedestrians on many of my preferred streets, I often choose to bike on the sidewalk. It's legal here: http://www.ci.bloomington.mn.us/code/index.php/o/page/p/693

I don't know about Bloomington, but in many suburban communities, the distinctions between "sidewalks" and "trails" are subtle. Often, trails pass for sidewalks and sidewalks pass for trails. Often, the only effective difference is that trails tend to be asphalt, and sidewalks tend to be concrete. There is also sometimes a width difference (trails are usually 8' or greater, and sidewalks are usually 5'-6'), but when you're the only person on it, width doesn't really matter.

By:
Krista

breathing in bus/car/scooter exhaust is the worst. being in the front of the line at the red light at least allows bikers to avoid idling gases in their faces.
as for bicycles stopping at stop signs, i agree with Idaho:
http://gothamist.com/2011/05/09/cyclists_will_you_pledge_to_stop_at.php